The present invention relates to a wearable antenna jacket for use with an endoscope system having a communication function used for obtaining information related to a body of a subject, and an endoscope system employing such a wearable jacket.
Conventionally, when a human body of a subject is observed, an electronic endoscope is typically used. The electronic endoscope is provided with cables and optical fibers inside a flexible tube section of a scope, and at a tip thereof, an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), is fixed. Such an endoscope is configured such that a relatively long flexible tube is inserted in the human cavity. Therefore, observation using such an endoscope is burdensome to the subject (examinee). Further, it is difficult to insert such an endoscope in a thin, long and meandering portion, such as intestine.
Recently, in order to decrease the burden to the subject, a system employing a capsule type endoscope has been suggested. With use of such a capsule type endoscope, it becomes easy to observe the intestine or the like.
An example of an endoscope system employing the capsule endoscope is described in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication P2003-19111 A. According to the endoscope system disclosed in the above publication, a belt having a plurality of antennas is wound around the subject (examinee). The capsule type endoscope outputs a radio wave and the belt is configured to receive the radio wave, which is used to detect a location of the capsule type endoscope. In this publication, the capsule type endoscope is described to measure condition inside the human cavity or to capture images of inner walls of the human cavity.
Each antenna mounted on the belt described in the above publication is connected to a signal recorder that controls the entire operation of the belt via lead wires and/or thin copper patterns. Such a structure has, however, several deficiencies.
For example, if each antenna is connected to the signal recorder with lead wires or cables, the antennas and the lead wires (cables) should be mounted on the belt. Therefore, for mounting each antenna, a relatively large area is required and it is difficult to mount many antennas on the belt. Because of the small number of antennas, the antennas may not cover the entire area inside the human cavity as a signal receiving area. Further, since the belt is to be wound around the body of the subject (examinee), a flexibility is required. However, if the cables (or lead wires) are mounted, the flexibility is lost. Further, if a large number of cables (lead wires) are mounted, the weight of the belt significantly increases, which increases burden to the subject (examinee). Furthermore, if the belt is frequently bent and stretched, the cables (lead wires) may be broken (disconnected).
If the antennas are connected to the signal recorder with the copper pattern, the belt is considered to be formed from a flexible PCB (printed circuit board). In this case, in comparison with the above-described structure using cables, the flexibility may be retained. However, when the PCB is used, a pattern corresponding to the elements to be mounted should be formed on a substrate, the areas for mounting the antennas may be restricted. Therefore, the antennas may not be mounted at optimum positions and/or the number of antennas may be limited. Further, if the belt is frequently bent and stretched, the pattern may be broken and disconnected.
Further to the above, the antennas are mounted on the belt and exposed to outside. Therefore, the antennas may receive signals from devices other than the capsule endoscope, which lowers an S/N (signal to noise) ratio of the image signal.